Missouri Driver’s License Eye Test Requirements

To get or renew a Missouri driver’s license, you have to pass a vision screening at the license office every time. The core Missouri driver’s license eye test requirements are 20/40 visual acuity in one or both eyes and at least 55 degrees of peripheral vision in each eye.¹ Miss those numbers and Missouri usually adds restrictions to your license rather than refusing you one outright.

The 20/40 Acuity Standard

Under 12 CSR 10-24.090, the baseline is 20/40 or better in either eye or both eyes. Reach that mark without glasses or contacts and your license carries no vision-related restrictions.² Reach it only with corrective lenses and you’ll still pass, but your license will state that you must wear them while driving. Driving without your required lenses is a traffic violation you can be cited for at a stop.

The corrective lenses notation stays on your license until you take a future screening and pass without them.

Peripheral Vision

Missouri also tests your horizontal peripheral vision. Under 12 CSR 10-24.130, you need at least 55 degrees of temporal peripheral vision in each eye to pass without an added restriction.³

If one eye falls below 55 degrees but the other reaches at least 85, you can still be licensed, provided you have an outside rearview mirror on the weaker side. Limited peripheral vision on the right, for example, means a right outside rearview mirror is required equipment for you. If the combined peripheral reading from both eyes totals less than 70 degrees, Missouri denies the license.³

Restriction Tiers for Weaker Acuity

Vision worse than 20/40 doesn’t disqualify you on its own. The state matches restrictions to what you can see, working from your best-corrected acuity:²

20/40 or better with correction: corrective lenses required; no other restriction.
20/41 to 20/59 with correction: corrective lenses required, daylight driving only.
20/60 to 20/74 with correction: corrective lenses required, daylight driving only, maximum speed 45 mph.
20/75 to 20/160 with correction: referred to the Highway Patrol for a driving skills evaluation, which may add further restrictions on times, routes, or conditions.
Worse than 20/160 with correction: license denied.

Drivers With Vision in One Eye

If vision in one of your eyes is 20/100 or worse, Missouri handles it with a mirror requirement rather than a denial, as long as the stronger eye meets the 20/40 threshold.² A weak left eye means a left outside rearview mirror; a weak right eye means one on the right. Corrective lenses are still required for the good eye if that’s what it takes to reach 20/40. If the weaker eye simply cannot be corrected to 20/40 at all, the corrective lenses restriction may be waived for that eye, though the mirror requirement stands.

How the Screening Works at the License Office

The regulation calls for a Snellen Vision Chart or equivalent device.² In practice, most license offices use a viewer you look into; you rest your forehead against it and read illuminated letters, numbers, or symbols of varying sizes. The examiner may flash lights at the edges to check peripheral vision. The screening takes a couple of minutes.

Bring your glasses or contacts. The Missouri Driver Guide flags that you may need them for the test.⁴ Showing up without them can mean a failed screening and a wasted trip. If your prescription is outdated and no longer corrects you to 20/40, expect either restrictions or a referral to a specialist.

If You Don’t Pass

Failing the office screening isn’t the end of it. The examiner hands you a Vision Examination Record form to take to an optometrist or ophthalmologist.⁴ The specialist performs a full exam, records their findings, and notes whether corrective lenses bring your vision within an acceptable range. You return the completed form to the license office.

If the specialist’s numbers put you in one of the restricted tiers, you’ll get a license with those restrictions. If your best-corrected acuity is worse than 20/160, or your combined peripheral reading is under 70 degrees, the license is denied. Applicants in the 20/75 to 20/160 range go one step further: the Department of Revenue sends them to Highway Patrol examiners for a behind-the-wheel skills test to see whether they can drive safely despite the impairment.¹

When You’ll Be Tested

You take the vision screening at every new application and every renewal, without exception.⁴ How often that comes around depends on your age:⁵

Ages 16–17: intermediate license valid up to two years.
Ages 18–20: three-year license.
Ages 21–69: six-year license.
Ages 70 and older: three-year license.

The acuity and peripheral standards are the same at every age. What changes for drivers 70 and older is the frequency, which is why restriction changes often show up in that stretch of life.

Remote Renewal Still Requires a Vision Exam

Missouri lets drivers ages 21 to 49 renew remotely once between in-person visits. Doing so doesn’t skip the vision requirement. You have to provide proof of a vision exam completed within the 12 months before your renewal application, which means scheduling with an eye doctor yourself.⁶

Vision Changes Between Renewals

Missouri doesn’t require you to self-report a change in your vision between renewals. The state relies on a voluntary reporting system: police officers, doctors, and family members can flag a driver they believe cannot drive safely, and the Department of Revenue can reevaluate and add restrictions, suspend, or revoke.

If you know your vision has slipped meaningfully since your last renewal, waiting for the next cycle carries real risk. Your license may not reflect the restrictions you now need, and driving outside your actual ability creates exposure beyond a traffic ticket. Seeing a specialist and updating your license before your renewal date is the cleaner path.

1
Legal Information Institute. 12 CSR 10-24.090 – Missouri Driver License or Permit Vision Test Guidelines
2
Missouri Department of Revenue. 12 CSR 10-24.090 Missouri Driver License or Permit Vision Test Guidelines
3
Legal Information Institute. Missouri Code 12 CSR 10-24.130 – Horizontal Peripheral Vision Screening Temporal Requirements
4
Missouri Department of Revenue. Missouri Driver Guide – Chapter 2 – The Driver Exam
5
Missouri Department of Revenue. The Missouri Driver License and Nondriver ID
6
Missouri Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle/Driver License System Changes